Current serving members

Service and Medical Records

If you are a current serving member of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) and you wish to have access to personnel records relating to yourself, you must first seek your records by approaching your current Defence Unit.

If you are not satisfied with the outcome, or if you do not receive a decision within 30 days of making your request, you may then seek access under the FOI Act.

Requests by Medical Units for Access to a Member's Unit Medical Record (UMR)

Defence Health Centres (Medical Units) may request access to current members Medical Records held at Defence Archives under the following conditions: —

Where the UMR is in the custody of Defence Archives

Where the original UMR cannot be located at the member's losing or gaining unit and an investigation has taken place in order to locate UMR

Where the UMR is in the custody of Defence Archives using Objective:

Medical Units must first search Objective to see if a UMR has been registered in Objective for that member and the 'current location' is shown as being in one of Defence Archives Repositories

Medical units are to request access to the UMR by using the 'Request' function in Objective

Where the UMR cannot be seen on Objective and known to be in the custody of Defence Archives

Medical Units must complete a PM384

Forward to Defence Archives via email

Where the UMR has been 'lost'

Medical Units are to perform an investigation to ensure that the UMR cannot be located at either the members 'losing' or 'gaining' unit

If all attempts to locate the UMR have been exhausted Medical Units are to complete a PM384, requesting copies of the CMR, attach evidence that an investigation has taken place and

Forward to Defence Archives via email

Psychology Records

From 29 November 2013, Defence changed its policy in regards to filing of mental health documentation. All documentation raised for mental health assessments will be filed as medical records. Any mental health documentation completed prior to 29 November 2013 will be retained as psychology records.

If the information you are seeking is not on your psychology record, it is advised you obtain a copy of your medical record.

To request your psychology record, please complete one of the following forms (ensuring it is signed by you — the Defence member or authorised representative) and send it to the Director Mental Health & Rehabilitation Programs and Evaluation.

Amendments and annotations to service records

If you wish to make an amendment to your personnel records that contain incorrect, out of date or misleading information you may do so by either of the following:

Privacy Act 1988

Australian Privacy Principle (APP) 13 – correction of personal information provides that an APP entity must take reasonable steps to correct personal information it holds, to ensure it is accurate, up-to-date, complete, relevant and not misleading, having regard to the purposes for which it is held.

The requirement to take reasonable steps applies in two circumstances

Where an APP entity is satisfied, independently of any request, that personal information it holds is incorrect; or

Where an individual requests an APP entity to correct their personal information.